In this prequel to Crown Duel, teenage Shevraeth is invited by a king his own age to train in command at the cavalry academy in Marloven Hess, known for its violent history. Shevraeth is reluctant to leave his own comfortable and civilized Remalna for this warrior kingdom, except that Remalna is slowly becoming less civilized and more violent under a bad government. In Marloven Hess' elite academy, Shevraeth finds every assumption overturned, including his own identity. He discovers action, laughter, terror, enemies, friendship--and even romance--as world events move inexorably toward conflagration.